Top story
Rob Sand visits Sioux City as part of ‘Iowa for All’ tour
SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - Iowa governor candidate Rob Sand made a stop in downtown Sioux City on Thursday as part of what he calls his “Iowa for All” tour.
Updated Oct 16, 2026, 2:22 PM ET
Rob Sand, a Democrat who has served as Iowa's state auditor since 2019, faces Republican businessman Zach Lahn for the open governorship of Iowa in 2026.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Rob Sand.
Latest coverage
Live News
Recent media coverage for Rob Sand.
-
Rob Sand makes a quick stop at Sioux City’s Brightside Cafe
Democratic candidate for Iowa Governor, Rob Sand, is continuing to tour the state with just a few weeks until the mid-term election and Thursday he made a
-
Rob Sand Meets with Seniors, Cancer Survivors, and Health Care Professionals on “Iowa for All” Tour
Rob Sand for Iowa Governor. Rob is only beholden to the people of Iowa, and Rob stands up for what's right, even when it's hard.
-
Home of the Marist Poll
Just three points separate Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson among likely voters in the U.S. Senate race in Iowa.
Marist Poll
Turek -
Sand, Lahn debate plans to tackle state budget shortfall while funding schools
Iowa gubernatorial candidates Rob Sand and Zach Lahn contrasted their proposals Wednesday during a televised debate on how to fund Iowa priorities amid both a state budget deficit and high inflation rate.
-
Rob Sand Makes Winning Case for a New Direction for Iowa in Second Gubernatorial Debate
Rob Sand outlines a clear, voter-focused plan for Iowa’s governorship in his second gubernatorial debate, emphasizing lower costs for families, stronger public education, a balanced budget, and government…
More coverage 2
-
Gubernatorial candidates clash on education, taxes, and state budget
In their second debate, Democratic candidate Rob Sand and Republican opponent Zach Lahn clashed over education funding, taxes, state budget, and state affordability.
-
Rob Sand and Zach Lahn debate education, economy in Sioux City
Rob Sand (D) and Zach Lahn (R) debated Iowa gubernatorial issues in Sioux City, focusing on education and the economy.
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- August 12, 1982
- Birthplace
- Decorah, Iowa
- Education
- Decorah High School (2001)
Brown University (bachelor's degree in political science, 2005)
University of Iowa College of Law (JD, 2010)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Robert Howard Sand was born on August 12, 1982, in Decorah, Iowa, to Leslie Sand, a physical therapist, and Kevin Sand, a doctor.
He graduated from Decorah High School in 2001 and from Brown University in 2005 with a political science degree; at Brown he received a Harry S. Truman Scholarship and interned in the Washington office of Senator Tom Harkin.
He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2010, where he led The Journal of Corporation Law as its top editor. In 2006 he worked on State Representative Ed Fallon's campaign for governor and then managed Denise O'Brien's campaign for Iowa secretary of agriculture.
Career
Attorney General Tom J. Miller appointed Sand an assistant attorney general in September 2010.
He led the prosecution in the Iowa Film Office tax credit scandal, then moved to the Area Prosecutions Division, which handles white-collar financial crime, where he prosecuted the $25 million Hot Lotto fraud; Eddie Tipton, a former Multi-State Lottery Association security official, received a 25-year sentence in 2017.
Sand resigned in 2017 to run for office. In the 2018 election for state auditor he defeated Republican incumbent Mary Mosiman 51% to 46%, and he took office on January 2, 2019, as Iowa's 33rd state auditor, naming a leadership team made up of one Democrat, one Republican and one independent.
He won reelection on November 8, 2022, with 50.1% of the vote against Republican Todd Halbur, making him the sole Democrat to win a statewide race in Iowa that year. His 2022 book with Reid Forgrave, The Winning Ticket, recounts the Hot Lotto case.
2026 race
Sand announced his campaign for governor on May 12, 2025, for the seat of Republican Kim Reynolds, which is open because she declined to seek a third term. He was the sole qualifying candidate on the Democratic primary ballot on June 2, 2026. His Republican opponent in the November 3, 2026, election is businessman and farmer Zach Lahn, who won his party's nomination with 37.65% of the vote over Representative Randy Feenstra, whom Donald Trump had endorsed.